Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-11-03

press my opinions In reference to the
candidates and the principles at issue.
The present campaign has aIGilRsssSsau
the presidentiaka ssfon Of 1876, this
community became tired of what was de
nominated 'bossism.' determined to
put an end to personal politics.
l tool an active part in the
movement and was punished by a refusal
OF the part of the Democratic machine to
renominate me Tor congress. My opin
ions expressed in 1890 have recently been
reproduced by the press, and / now re
affirm them as a carefully prepared pro-
test against the evils which follow the
despotic and secret exercises of power by
| political bosses. lido not know Of the ex-
~lstence of any such bosses in this city at
this time. IL they exist, it seems to me
that the mayor, in the discharge of his
appointing powers, would have encoun
tered them. They have not materialized
in the mayors office and no demands
have been made on me in their
behalf. But Ihave encountered another
and new kind of boss, who has given me
a great deal of unsought advice, and Il
large amount OF unnecessary bulldozing.
| refer to the newspaper boss. Sitting
| VI lie odlCLulh IihO q ploOuliS
Buddah, he does not hesitate to claim
omniscence and to endow himself with
~omnipotence. The political boss is re-
sponsible only TO his party, and the news-
paper boss is responsible to his own
pocket. He is as dangerous ~ he is
d~espotic. He must be suppressed. Other
wise parties, upon the healthful existence
of which free government depends,
will be destroyed, and the voters
will be compelled to choose between
newspaper tickets instead of party nom
nations. 1t is alleged, however, that
democratic candidates were not selected
| by the representatives of the party, &C.
| cording to the free choice which | have
| always advocated. This charge is not
true. The specific accusation is that the
United Democracy rejected the candidacy
OF Delaney Nicoll at the dictation of
Maurice J. Power, aided and abetted by
various persons. There is no foundation
whatever for the statement. That MIR.
Nicoll is not the Democratic candidate. is
due to his own declarations. In Septeni-
Der last he told me of his own accord that
he did not desire the nomination for dis
trict attorney, and preferred to resume his
private practice of the law. But for this
statement ! should have done what I
could in a proper way to ecure bissnom-
~ination, because Col. Fellows, who by
long experience and unequaled ability
ought to have had the call on the nomin-
alton, had also given me to understand
that he would retire from the position he
now fills at the close OF the year.
In this state of affairs, the next assist
ant, Mr.. Fitzgerald was the natural
nominee and all the leaders of the orgun.
izatjon tn which he ho1onraI oaa,,,a1 -
C in the propriety of his nomina-
ton. This conclusion was not the work
of any one man, but was the consensus
of all the men whose opinion would have
weight with the public. In this condi-
ton of affairs the nomination of Mr..
Nicoll was demanded by certain newspa-
pers which are. either not the or
gans of the Democratic party, or dis
tinctly opposed to its principles. Mr..
Nicoll at first reluctantly succumbed
to the gross aduiation with which his adj
yocacy was accompanied. This injudi-
cions course made his candidacy unaccept-
able to self respecting Men, and Col.
Fellows was solicited to accept u nomina-
ton which he neither expected nor de-
sired. The republicans who in my own
case refused to endorse a democratic can
didate, were prompt enough to seize the
opportunity to foment discord in the
ranks of their opponents by the open
nomination of two democrats, thus max
ing the humiliating confession thai they
have no men in their own party who have
the courage and ability to
effect reform, promote Justice,
and punish crime. The deduction from
the facts is clear that the Nicoll move
ment is IN its inception, a newspaper adj